


The Boy in the Woods

by good_mythical_miles



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Childhood, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mild Blood, Paranormal, ghost link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 08:06:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9810647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_mythical_miles/pseuds/good_mythical_miles
Summary: When exploring the woods one day, eight year old Rhett finds a house that he assumes is abandoned. He's not entirely right.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by one puzzle in the recently released Goosebumps game, where you need to find objects for three ghost children.  
> 
> 
> References were made to the Good Mythical Morning episode [Secret Tapes of Rhett and Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5itFvGgeqs) and a childhood photo they showed in the episode [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ9iJPJx-Rk&feature=youtu.be)
> 
> As always, I hope y'all enjoy this, and feedback is always appreciated! :D

“Mama, I'm gonna go out to the woods again!” little Rhett called to his mother, Diane, as he worked on tying his sneakers. He'd just finished his homework and wanted to go on an adventure.

“Just be careful!” she called after him. Rhett was a good kid, so Diane trusted him to not get into too much trouble. She used to send the boy’s older brother Cole with him, just to keep an eye on him, but they tended to cause more trouble when it was the two of them together. “Don’t touch anything that looks dangerous!”

“Mama, I _know!_ ” Rhett whined. “I’m _eight_ , I can take care of myself!”

Diane grabbed the boy by the wrist as he attempted to dart past her. “You better bring a snack with ya, baby. What do ya want?”

“I don’t need nothin’. I got my money. I’ll get something at the gas station!” Rhett argued as he attempted to wriggle out of his mother’s grasp.

“Alright, alright.” she laughed, tousling his blond hair. “Have fun, sweetie.”

With that, Rhett grabbed his backpack and ran out of the house to the front yard where he’d left his bicycle lying on the lawn after his previous excursion. He picked it up and mounted it, not bothering to put on his helmet. There was a cool breeze, but the gentle warmth of the sun was enough that he didn’t need a sweater. He peddled as quickly as his longer-than-average legs could take him, eager to reach the forest he knew contained at least some abandoned buildings. He loved exploring them, for the same reason he loved spending the night at other kids’ homes: he loved catching a glimpse into others’ lives. He’d only found two abandoned houses, both of which were more or less empty, but he was determined to find some cool things.

Today was going to be the day, he kept telling himself.

Just as he’d told his mother he would, Rhett stopped by the gas station on his way to the woods and bought a bottle of Clearly Canadian and a chocolate bar before jumping back on his bike as quickly as he could. It wasn’t long before the boy reached the edge of the forest. Without braking, he hopped off his bike, letting it crash onto the ground by the side of the trailhead. He was planning on heading off of the trail where he couldn’t use his bike. He had no idea where he was going, but he liked it that way; it was more of an adventure. He passed the first abandoned house he’d ever seen, but didn’t give it a second glance. He’d looked through it already, and wasn’t interested anymore. Rhett continued walking, dried leaves and twigs crunching under his dirty sneakers with each step he took. The forest was filled with sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of the leaves from God-only-knows which creatures, but Rhett paid it no mind. He’d spent plenty of time in the woods chasing deer. That’s not what he was there for today. A few minutes into his journey, he tripped on a rock, scraping both of his knees. He sat on the ground for a moment, stunned, staring at the minor wounds. Being the tough young boy that he was, he quickly hopped up, brushed the dirt from his hands and continued on, more determined than ever.

He walked for almost an hour before he saw a structure behind a wall of thick brush. He let out a slight gasp. Could this be what he was looking for? Struggling to push through the sharp, tangled foliage, grunting with the effort and pain, he managed to get through to the other side. Sure enough, a two-story home, rather well-preserved for being overtaken by brush in the middle of the forest, stood before him. Rhett grinned and, without hesitation or any concern for his own safety, ran up the rotting steps of the front porch. He tried the doorknob and was pleasantly surprised when he found it was unlocked.

_“Yes!”_ Rhett breathed in excitement.

He carefully passed over the threshold into the dilapidated home. The sunlight was shining dimly through the grimy windows and cracks in the walls, illuminating the dust that was gently floating through the stale air. Rhett pulled a flashlight out of his backpack to better see his surroundings. Old furniture sat in their places, presumably right where the last owners of the home had kept them during their time there. Rhett was in awe. This was exactly what he had been searching for. He pressed onward, shining his flashlight up the staircase. He knew better than to climb it, as it was obvious that the steps would crumble under even the weight of his eight year old self. Instead, he walked through what he assumed had been the living room at one point, ending up in the kitchen. A grimy fridge still stood against one wall. He opened it, and was both disappointed and relieved to find it empty. The cupboards, however, still contained glasses and plates and bowls, all covered with a thick layer of dust. Rhett decided he’d hang out for a little while and finally eat his candy and crack open his bottle of Clearly Canadian. He walked back to the living room to sit on the large couch. Rhett began to eat his snack when his eye caught something. He’d seen the olive green armchair as he’d entered, but sitting in it was something he hadn’t noticed before. Laying on the cushion was what he assumed to be a worn out stuffed animal. As he approached, he realized it was a Goofy doll. It was clearly well loved, as stuffing was poking out of one of the seams.

The sense of awe and amazement that Rhett had felt upon his entrance to the building was quickly being overtaken by the eerie feeling that he was being watched. He was almost certain that the Goofy doll hadn’t been there when he’d walked by the chair just moments earlier… Was somebody in the house with him? The air suddenly grew colder; goosebumps formed across his exposed arms and legs. He gulped, wrapping his chocolate bar back up and shoving it into his backpack along with his drink. His heart was racing, and he was ready to leave. He rounded the corner back to the front entrance, but froze.

Standing in front of him was a boy about his own age, but much smaller than himself. He was wearing a striped shirt, high-top sneakers, and shorts, all similar to ones Rhett himself owned. His hair was cut in a bowl cut. Rhett would’ve been happy to ask the boy to join him on his adventure, but there was something off about him. The boy was... _transparent…_ He was almost glowing. Rhett was frozen in shock, his mouth gaping open. The boy nervously dug his foot into the decaying carpet, wringing his hands together. He stared at the floor, too shy to look up at Rhett. When he finally spoke, his voice seemed distant and echoey.

He mumbled, “I wanna hear the song, but I can’t find it…”

“Wh...what?” Rhett squeaked.

“If I look, it’ll wake up my mama and my step-dad…” He paused, glancing up the stairs. “Will you help me find the song? It was my favorite.”

Rhett had heard enough. He darted from the building and burst through the thick wall of brush surrounding the house, sprinting as fast and as far as he could. He could barely see where he was going due to both his speed and the sheer adrenaline and panic that had set in. The forest surrounding him was a blur, but he just kept running, needing to get as far away from that house and what was inside as he possibly could. His heart was racing and his breath erratic. He nearly tripped a dozen times, but not once did the near-accidents jar him enough for him to pause. His mind was blank; the only thing he knew in that moment was the desperate urge to get away. He only stopped when he found a hiking trail. He collapsed in the dirt, panting, only just realizing there were tears streaming down his face and a couple small trickles of blood on his arms from the branches he'd crashed through. In his eight years of life, he’d never been so scared. He took a few minutes to calm himself down, telling himself that even if there was a ghost, it was just a kid like him, that he was out of there, and that the spirit hadn’t followed him. The last thing Rhett wanted was his mother to see him so upset. He’d never admit to being scared in front of her. He was tough.

* * *

 

Three nights later, Rhett was sitting at the dinner table with his family. He had been twisting his spaghetti noodles around his fork for the entire meal, not taking a single bite.

“Eat your spaghetti, Rhett,” his father insisted.

“I’m not hungry,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Diane questioned, her voice soft and comforting. Rhett always insisted on having second, or even third, helpings, so she knew something was the matter.

“Nothin’. I’m just tired, mama,” he lied.

Rhett couldn’t get the image of the boy from the house out of his head. There was no question in his mind that he was a ghost, and Rhett had always been told that ghosts weren’t real. But he saw one with his own two eyes. And what was the boy even talking about? Something about a song? Rhett didn’t know why, but despite how terrified he’d been, he sort of wanted to go back.

After quite a bit of arguing between himself and his parents, Rhett finally ate his dinner before slinking off to his bedroom. He got out his cassette collection and tried to think of his own favorite songs, thinking maybe the boy in the house liked the same music he did. He picked his five favorite mix tapes he'd made for himself recently and put them in his backpack along with his player. He'd made his decision: he'd go back to the house first thing in the morning. Rhett didn’t sleep very well that night. He tossed and turned, anxious for the sun to rise so he could be on his way.

When morning finally came, he gobbled up the bacon and eggs his mother had made as quickly as he could before slipping on his sneakers, shouting goodbye to his family, and hopping on his bike. He reached the trailhead, this time sprinting through the forest instead of taking his time to look around. Rhett trusted his memory enough to guide himself confidently, and sure enough, he arrived at the old home much quicker than he had on his first visit. He decided to clear some of the branches and leaves, making entering the property much easier and less painful. Gripping the straps of his backpack tightly, he gazed up at the building and took a deep breath to steady his nerves before walking into the house for the second time.

“Hello?” he called out, his voice shaking. “Are you still in here?”

He glanced around, listening carefully. He didn’t see anybody, nor did he hear any peculiar noises. He turned around, letting out a yelp when he saw the same boy from before standing right in front of him.

“You came back?” the boy asked in that same distant voice.

“Yeah, I… I did.” Rhett blinked his eyes, trying to make sure he was really seeing what he thought he was. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Link,” the boy said, a slight smile appearing on his face, adding a bit of light to his anxious gaze. The boy had looked more nervous than Rhett did. Link’s smile relaxed Rhett, who couldn’t help but smile in response. “Why’d you come back?”

“Well, you said you wanted to hear your favorite song, so I brought some of _my_ favorite songs. Maybe we like the same music!”

“You’re… You’re gonna help me?” Link was stunned.

“Well, yeah. I’m sorry I got scared before,” Rhett replied. He felt bad. Link was just like his schoolmates, not anything to be afraid of.

“That’s okay.” Link walked into the living room, sitting in the armchair that the old Goofy doll was still lying in. Rhett followed him, sitting in the same place on the couch he’d sat in the other day. He removed his cassettes and their player, immediately placing one inside. “What’s your name?” Link questioned.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Rhett,” the boy said.

“Thank you for helping me, Rhett.”

“You’re welcome. You, um…” Rhett paused, glancing towards the entrance of the home, thinking back to what Link had said when he’d first encountered him. “You said before you didn’t want to wake up your parents. Where are they?” Rhett was scared that Link would say they were upstairs, but he wasn’t sure what would be scarier: if they were alive and living in such a terribly run-down place, or if there were two more spirits he’d have to deal with.

Link sighed and began picking at his fingernails anxiously. “Sometimes I forget.”

“Forget what?”

“That they’re gone. That I’m alone. I don’t got too good of a memory anymore.”

Rhett felt terrible for Link. He could almost feel his heart breaking. Imagining his mom, dad, and brother leaving him alone in a dark, empty home was quite possibly the scariest thing he could think of. “What, um… What happened to you?” Rhett asked, hesitating slightly between words. Link looked up at Rhett for only a split second before glancing back to his lap. Rhett could hear sniffling, and he was certain he’d made Link cry. He began to apologize, but Link interrupted.

“I don’t… I don’t remember. I think I… I think I fell.”

Rhett’s mind began showing him images of Link falling to his death, which nauseated him. He changed the subject to lighter matters. “Do you remember what type of music your favorite song was?” Rhett questioned. He really did want to get to the bottom of Link’s mystery.

Link shook his head, staring at the cassette player. “I don’t remember anything.”

“That’s okay. Maybe listening to some music will help you remember more!” He hit play, and the staticky songs he’d recorded from the radio filled the silence of the home. Rhett let the tape play, watching Link’s blank face the entire time. After forty-five minutes, they had listened to both sides of the cassette. “Were any of those the song?” Rhett asked hopefully.

Link merely shook his head again, not looking up at Rhett.

“That’s okay, I’ve got more!” Rhett switched out the tapes, hitting play again.

The pair repeated this action until Rhett had gone through all the cassettes he’d brought with him. Link hadn’t looked up from the tape player once. “None of those were the song,” he mumbled. Rhett realized the boy sounded like he was trying to hold back tears.

“It’s okay! I’ve got lots more tapes at home, Link! I’ll come back with more tomorrow after school!”

Link finally met his gaze again. “Promise?”

Rhett nodded vigorously, packing up his things. “Totally! I really wanna help.”

Link smiled wider. “Thank you, Rhett. You’re a great friend.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Link!” Rhett said, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and waving. Link waved back, watching Rhett as he left the house.

Rhett continued to bring small stacks of cassettes to the abandoned house for a full week. Over the course of his visits, Rhett continued to interrogate Link. Were there guitars in the song? He couldn’t remember. Was there a flute? He couldn’t remember. Was it a guy or a chick singing? He couldn’t remember. Was it a happy song or a sad song? He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t remember _anything,_ truly giving Rhett nothing to go on. Rhett played cassette after cassette, until he had gone through all of the ones in his possession. When the final cassette in the boy’s collection had come to an end, Rhett stared at little, transparent Link, hoping and praying that this tape had contained the song. However, just as he had every other time, Link merely shook his head.

“Put in the next one,” the boy insisted desperately. “I wanna hear my song again! One last time… It helped me sleep… I wanna sleep… I’m tired…”   

“There’s no ‘next one,’ Link. That was my last tape!”

Link began to cry softly, his echoing whimpers sending a shiver down Rhett’s spine. The entire time Rhett had been playing songs for him, the boy remained calm, rarely ever looking up from the player, so seeing him break down was hard for Rhett to watch. “I ain’t never gonna hear my song again, Rhett. I give up.”

“No, Link! You can’t give up, buddy! I can find your song, just give me more time! Most of those were country and rap songs. Maybe your song was something I don’t listen to…” Rhett paused, trying to think of a solution. He suddenly remembered the small portable radio he’d gotten for his last birthday, and his hope and excitement was renewed all over again. “I’ll… I’ll bring my radio over, and we can listen to _all_ the stations!” Rhett was determined to help the boy, even though he hadn’t given him any hints as to what his song might be.

Link shook his head. “It’s impossible, Rhett. It’s okay, though. I’ve been super lonely, so I’m just happy you came to help me.”

“You can’t give up!” Rhett insisted. “You can’t!”

“I don’t remember anything about my song. I’ll never find it.” As he continued to cry softly, Link’s already transparent form slowly faded from view.

Rhett stared in utter shock at the armchair that the boy had been sitting in. “Link? Link!” he called. “Link, come back!” After a few minutes of silence, Rhett had no choice but to head home for the day.

Just as he’d promised, Rhett packed up his little portable radio to bring to Link’s home the next day, but for the first time since he’d found the house, Link didn’t appear. He waited around for the boy for almost an hour, sitting in the living room and listening to music alone before once again being forced to give up and go back home. Rhett persisted, returning to the old house for a week straight, all without a single sign that Link’s spirit was still there. On the seventh day, he’d lost hope. He decided it’d be his last visit to the house, but he wasn’t going there to listen to any music. He just wanted to steal that Goofy doll that Link was always sitting with. Rhett didn’t know why he wanted it so bad. Perhaps it was to remember Link by. He didn’t dwell on it, he just knew he wanted it. So, he was going to get it. By now, Rhett had memorized the path to the house, and each time he visited, it took him less and less time to get there. He walked in without hesitation, heading straight for the living room. The house didn’t feel any different than it had when Rhett first found it. He still felt like there was somebody there, watching him. He called out for Link a couple of times, just in case the boy happened to be there. He really didn’t want to think that he’d failed Link, but when he didn’t get a response, he picked up the grimey doll and placed it in the front pocket of his bag, leaving immediately after. Maybe Link really was gone. Maybe that feeling of another presence was all in Rhett’s imagination. Rhett sighed, disappointed that his friend was gone.

Later that same night, Rhett was sitting in bed reading his favorite comic book when his mom knocked on his door before entering. “Hey, baby,” she said in her sweet southern drawl. “I’m gonna pop myself some popcorn. Do you want any?”

“Nah,” he replied, too invested in his story to pay too much attention to her words.

She was about to leave again, but before she closed the door, she spotted the doll from the woods sitting on Rhett’s bookshelf. “Rhett, where did you get that filthy thing?”

“I found it,” he carefully replied.

“ _Where’d_ you find it?”

Rhett didn’t want to tell her, but the way she looked at him when she really wanted to know the truth—the _whole_ truth—always got to him. “I found an abandoned house, and I made a friend. His name is Link. He wanted me to help him find his favorite song, but he couldn’t remember what it was. So I’ve been listening to music with him, but we couldn’t find it. He got sad and disappeared.”

Diane blinked slowly, taking in her son’s words. “You… This Link boy. He lives in the abandoned house?”

Rhett nodded. “I think it was his.”

She looked back and forth between Rhett and the doll. “You can’t keep this, and I don’t want you going back there, Rhett James McLaughlin. _Ever.”_ She grabbed the doll from the shelf and turned to walk away.

“Mom!” Rhett shrieked. “NO! Let me keep it!” He couldn’t lose the doll. It was the only proof that Link was real… The only proof that he wasn’t imagining the whole thing.

Despite Rhett’s pleas, Diane insisted on throwing the decaying doll into the trash. The boy cried and whined and grumbled about it all night, but his mother didn’t let up. “You don’t know what was in that house, Rhett,” she kept saying.

“It was just Link! He’s my friend!” he kept answering. “I was gonna help him!”

Rhett stayed home from school the next morning, pretending to be sick. Diane knew when her son was lying, but she let him think he fooled her. They’d had a long night, so she didn’t push it. Instead, she made him a cup of tea before she had to leave for work.

“Get some rest, baby,” she cooed, patting Rhett’s forehead.

The boy faked a cough, nodding. “I will.”

As soon as Diane left, Rhett jumped out of bed and ran to the trash. He sighed in relief when he found that nobody had emptied it, so Goofy was sitting right on top. He retrieved the doll, bringing it back up to his room. This time, he hid it somewhere his family wouldn’t be able to find it. After reading his favorite comic book for the millionth time, he laid down to take a nap. As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the familiar, distant voice that he’d missed.

“Rhett, where am I?” Link questioned.

Rhett sat upright, gasping. “Link!? Why are you in my house?”

Link pointed in the direction of the Goofy doll, which Rhett had stashed under his bed.

“Are you… Are you _attached_ to the doll?” the boy asked, eyes wide.

Link nodded. “It’s my favorite. Why’d you take it?”

Rhett looked to the floor, fiddling with the sheets on his bed nervously. “I… I missed you,” he admitted. “Why’d you leave?”

“I’m never gonna hear the song again. You shouldn’t waste your time no more,” the boy sighed.

“It’s not a waste!” Rhett jumped out of bed, taking his portable radio out from his backpack. He’d never cleaned it out. “Look, you can stay here and we can listen to the radio!”

“I don’t wanna, Rhett.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m tired,” Link sighed, shaking his head. “I’m so tired.”

“But that’s all you wanted, Link! You just wanted to hear your song again! Please don’t go! We can find it!” Rhett begged.

After a tense silence, Link sat cross-legged on the carpet. “Will you put in the first tape again?”

Rhett nodded, digging through the bin his mother was always telling him to organize. It took him a while, but he eventually found the first tape that he’d ever played for Link. “Do you think the song was actually on here?”

Link stared at Rhett blankly. Unable to read his expression, Rhett placed the cassette in his tape player and hit the play button. The whistling of Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” came through the static, and Link spoke up. “I guess that’s my new favorite song. I don’t wanna look no more.”

Rhett stopped the tape. “Don’t say that! There’s gotta be a way to find it!”

“You were gonna sleep. I’ll stay here and try to remember anything, but if I can’t, I’m gonna give up.”

Rhett sighed. “Okay, fine…” He climbed back in bed and laid his head on his pillow before adding, “Try really hard, though…”

“I will.”

Rhett closed his eyes and began humming. He wasn’t humming the song they’d been listening to, or even a song he knew the name of. No, he was humming a song his mother used to hum to him when he couldn’t sleep. He’d told her to stop, that he was grown up now and didn’t need her to hum to him, but it secretly still relaxed him.

“Rhett!” Link shrieked, startling Rhett. It was the loudest Link had been since the two boys had met.

“What!?” Rhett sat up again, and when he looked over at Link, the boy was grinning, his eyes wide in amazement.

“That was my song!” he squealed.

“What was?” Rhett’s heart was racing. He was confused.

“The song! You were just humming it!”

“I was?”

Link nodded. He stood up and approached Rhett’s bed. “Please keep humming, Rhett! Please! I remember now! My mama used to hum it to me at night! Please let me hear my song again!”

Rhett was grinning now, too. The boys were laughing in excitement, and Link was clapping. Rhett began humming the song again, watching Link’s shocked excitement fade into contentment. As he got further and further into the song, it seemed as if Link’s faint glow was getting brighter—more intense. Rhett held the final note before he let the sound fade silence.

Link fell to his knees. He looked up at Rhett, still grinning. “Thank you so much, Rhett. You’re the bestest friend I ever had!” His voice seemed quieter now, more distant than it already was. He continued to grow brighter and brighter.

“I told you we could find it, Link!” Rhett replied.

Link continued to stare up at Rhett, but he didn’t speak again. Suddenly, the boy exploded in a flash of bright white light, then was gone. As Rhett’s vision slowly returned, he blinked, taking in the now empty room.

“Link?” he asked. “Link, where’d you go?”

He was met with silence. Rhett’s heart was beating wildly, but his excitement was starting to fade now that he was by himself. He laid down in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Was Link in heaven now? Rhett surprised himself when he suddenly burst into tears. He was happy and relieved that he’d managed to help Link with his one request, but he didn’t want his friend to leave him. Sure, he’d hang out with school friends, but it was mostly just out of necessity. Link was different. Link gave him a purpose. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been so determined to help somebody, and while the process was frustrating, he was almost sad that it was over. They’d bonded over the music, despite the songs not being what they were searching for. Now that Link was gone, so was Rhett’s job. He fished the Goofy doll out from under his bed and hugged it. It was caked in dust and grime, but he didn’t mind. Eventually, his tears exhausted him enough that he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

For years after Rhett had known Link, the ghost boy, he’d have dreams of himself humming the song, sometimes alone in the abandoned house, and sometimes to Link’s glowing form. He’d never told anyone what had happened. They’d probably look at him like he was crazy. One night, he was startled awake by something, almost hitting his head on the ceiling. He still wasn’t used to the bunk beds in his cramped college dorm.

“Gregg?” he asked groggily, expecting his roommate to have been the reason for his waking up. As his mind cleared, he remembered Gregg had been staying with his girlfriend for the weekend and that he was alone. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, shrugging it off. It was as soon as Rhett moved to lay back down that he saw a faint glow coming from somewhere just out of view. He looked over the railing of his top bunk and saw the ghost boy from his childhood staring up at him. “Link!? What are you—”

“I wanna hear my song,” the boy’s voice echoed, exactly how it had the first time they’d met.

Rhett hesitated out of both deep confusion and intense excitement. He could hardly believe his eyes. “Why are you here? I thought you were in...in heaven or whatever.”

“I wanna hear my song again, Rhett. Please?” the boy blinked, gazing hopefully up at him.

“Okay… Okay, yeah. Sure.” Rhett had completely forgotten he’d brought the Goofy doll with him. He’d hidden it in his suitcase. He began to hum the old tune, surprised that after all those years, he still remembered it so well. Link smiled, his eyes closed as he listened.

“Thank you,” he said softly before once again disappearing in a flash.

Rhett scratched his head. “You’re welcome, Link,” he whispered, despite knowing Link was gone. Or, maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was still there, only hiding like he had been during that one week while they were children. Rhett was awake the rest of the night wondering why Link had come back, but at the same time, he was happy to see his face again.

* * *

 

Rhett stretched out his limbs, feeling an empty bed beside him. He sighed. His wife Jessie had taken the boys to summer camp, and she was spending the night in a hotel to avoid having to drive overnight. He hated being alone. He always got the sense somebody, or something, was watching him. And right at that moment, the feeling was there. He pulled the covers up to his chin, shivering. Behind his closed eyelids, he saw a faint glow. His breath hitched in his throat. Could it be? It’d been over two decades since he’d last seen Link. He nervously opened his eyes, and sure enough, the little ghost boy stood before him, digging his foot into the carpet and wringing his hands together, just as he had been when they’d first met.

“Link, hey, buddy,” he said softly, his voice gravelly with sleep.

Link looked up. “Hi, Rhett.”

“Why are you here?”

“You’re my bestest friend. I’m always here.”

Rhett felt like the boy’s words should’ve frightened him, should’ve made his blood run cold, but they didn’t. Instead, he felt almost comforted. “You’re okay, right? I mean, you’re happy? You don’t need any help to move on?” Rhett questioned.

Link shook his head, smiling softly. “Sometimes I just wanna hear my song again. I like it when _you_ hum it best.”

Rhett pat the empty space in his bed. “Wanna hang out?”

Link nodded and climbed into the bed. Rhett closed his eyes again, settling back into the position he always slept in. He hummed the tune slowly, knowing that as he finished, Link flashed out of the room.

Every night since then, he made it a point to hum the song, just in case Link was listening. Jessie asked him what it was, and his only explanation was, “My mom used to sing it to me. It’s just a nice song.” Link never showed up again, but Rhett assumed it was only because he was already singing the song, so Link didn’t need to ask for it. When he was alone at night, he still felt a presence. That never went away. He’d sometimes talk to Link, never getting a response, except for one night when he turned around to see the Goofy doll, which had been kept in a box full of his childhood toys shoved in the back of one of their closets, sitting on the carpet in front of him. He picked it up and placed it high up on the bookshelf where his dog couldn’t reach it.

“I told you we’d find your song,” Rhett mumbled.

* * *

 


End file.
